Evan Shapiro (Media Universe Cartographer) Navigating Media Challenges, Key Trends in Media, Generational Shifts & Collaboration Over Competition (#68)

In this episode of TV-Helden, our host Christian Heinkele is
joined by Evan Shapiro, a distinguished media industry expert
renowned for his forward-thinking insights on the future of
television and streaming. Evan shares his vast knowledge on the
rapidly changing landscape of media consumption, providing
invaluable perspectives for both industry insiders and
enthusiasts. The interview was recorded during Medientage München
in their Podcast Studio. Key take aways:


Embracing Competitors as Partners: Evan stresses the importance
of media companies embracing platforms like Google, YouTube, and
Amazon as distribution partners. Despite being competitors, these
platforms can offer significant reach and data-sharing
opportunities that can enhance consumer personalization and
advertising efficiency.


Leading Provider - Amazon: A critical spotlight falls on Amazon,
recognized as the foremost provider and seller of connected
televisions. This positioning allows Amazon to have substantial
influence and control over the distribution of streaming content.


Data Sharing for Personalization: One of the key takeaways from
Evan’s discussion is the idea that media companies should
collaborate by sharing data rather than programs. This approach
can lead to better targeted marketing, improved consumer
personalization, and enhanced advertising efficiency, potentially
allowing these companies to compete more effectively with tech
giants like Meta, Google, and Amazon.


Targeting Small and Mid-Sized Businesses: Evan identifies an
under-served market in television advertising: small and
mid-sized businesses. He points out that platforms like Google
and Meta are popular with these businesses due to their
cost-effective and targeted advertising solutions. There is an
opportunity for television advertising to appeal to this market,
especially in Europe.


Streaming Service Dynamics: The conversation touches on how
western middle-class consumers often keep subscriptions to major
services like Netflix, Amazon, and YouTube, while other streaming
services experience higher churn rates. Evan highlights Netflix's
success, attributing it to their vast content library and
strategic partnerships, although he also discusses future
challenges like loss of third-party content and the impact of
password-sharing crackdowns.


European Media Companies' Adaptation: Evan commends European
media companies like ZDF and BBC for their efforts in leveraging
platforms like YouTube to reach younger audiences while
maintaining their commercial viability. He underscores the
necessity for traditional broadcasters to innovate and partner
with big tech to stay competitive.


Generational Shift and Market Challenges: A significant portion
of the episode explores the generational shift in TV watching
habits. Evan notes that younger consumers prefer streaming
services and are unlikely to subscribe to traditional pay TV. He
emphasizes the need for pay TV providers to adapt by
understanding modern consumer behavior and offering more
integrated bundles that cater to today's demand for seamless,
user-centric experiences.


Super Aggregation and Future Directions: The episode concludes
with a discussion on the future media landscape and the trend
toward super aggregation. Successful examples like Amazon and
YouTube demonstrate the power of integrating diverse services
under one platform. Evan indicates that this model could be the
key to reducing churn and increasing consumer loyalty in the long
term.


Uniqueness of Medientage München: Evan highlights the unique
student participation in the München event, which Evan views as
essential for fostering intergenerational interaction and
innovation in the media industry.


For more insights and analytics join Evan's newsletter on
https://eshap.substack.com/


Enjoy listening.


Best, Christian Heinkele


This episode was supported by Agile Content: www.agilecontent.com
Agile Content is one of the leading white label platforms
worldwide and is now available in Germany. Learn more about Agile
Content and their Tier One technology and white label approach in
Episode 62. Many thanks for the support!


My TV Congress: media hall: For relevant and in-depth
discussions, just like those you know from the TV-helden podcast,
join me at my media hall – two days of congress and celebration
for the TV community. From April 2nd to April 3rd, 2025, in
Frankfurt. A TV congress for you. Find out more on LinkedIn or at
media-hall.de.


Christian Heinkele Management Consultant is the consulting firm
for the television of tomorrow. We cover all topics related to
television, especially strategy, product management, content
sourcing, and marketing. We also offer training and workshops on
IPTV, OTT, TV product marketing, and more. For information, visit
these links:


Web: www.tv-helden.com


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tv-helden


Imprint: https://christian-heinkele.de/impressum/


 


Evan Shapiro, Google, YouTube, Amazon, connected televisions,
media companies, data sharing, consumer personalization,
advertising efficiency, targeted marketing, Meta, small
businesses, cost-effective advertising, television advertising,
European advertising market, traditional industries, automakers,
TVauhelden Podcast, personal tech integration, streaming service
dynamics, Netflix, Apple TV+, churn rates, content volume, live
events, third-party content, password-sharing crackdown,
subscriber growth, diversification, sports programming, ZDF.